Safety pin



March 10, 1953 H. c. wHlTTAKl-:R

SAFETYPIN Filed Aug. lO, 1950 Patented Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT lvOFFICE SAFETY PIN Henry clay Whittaker, Memphis, wenn. Application Augst 1o, 195o, serai No. 178,692

This invention relates *to improvements in safety pins.

Due to the fact that the pin of the usual safety pin `has a tendency to' pull away yfrom the guard when under pressure, it has lbeen proposed Lto bend the end of the penetrating 'point at -a slight angle :and this end is seated within .a similarly inclined pocket in the guar-d, Where-the point is turned inwardly the tendency to slip has not been removed. Again the point vmay vbe bent outwardly and is received by a pocket of the guard which is provided with slots to `seat the point. Further, it has fbeen proposed to provide la guard having a shield to receive the point of the pin. However, in all of the proposed structures, the pointed end of the `pin is not properly protected from disengagement from the yguard when und-er pressure.

It is an object of th-e present Vinvention to provide a safety pin in which the penetrating point of the pin is retained in 'the guard by a plurality of elements combined in the pin and lguard in which the free `endV of the `pin has a straight portion and a vcurved portion nested within similarly positioned channeled portions of 'an arm of a U -shaped guide, the pointed 'end of the penetrating pin being restricted iin the inward movement by the other arm of the U-shaped guard since theA curved portion of the first -mentionedarm retain-s Ithe pointed end in close @associati-on ,with the second arm.

A yfurther object of the invention is the provision of a safety pin in which the legs of a U- shaped member have intermediate portions bowed inwardly towards each other so that when the materials of clothing are forced between th-e bowed portions an outward pressure will be exerted on the legs to prev-ent the penetrating pin forming one of the legs from being displaced accidentally from a guard carried by the oth-er leg.

This invention is best understood from a consi-deration of the vfollowing detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, nevertheless it must be borne in mind that the invention is not conned to the disclosure, but is susceptible to such changes and modiications as shall define no material departure from the salient yfeatures of the invention as expressed in the append-ed claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a greatly enlarged top Iplan view of my improved safety pin shown in `closed position,

Figure 2 is a similar top plan view of the pin in open position,

Figure 3 is a reduced transverse vertical section of the pin taken along the line |3-3 of Figure :1, and

IFigure 4 a greatly enlarged tcp plan view of a modified formof th'epin.

Referring more particularly tothe drawing, -I il designates generally a 'll-shaped member having a bight portion `II in the shape of a coil. The legs I2 and I3 of the 'Ll-shaped member and the coil are formed of spring material such as brass or steel so that the free ends ofthe legs will tend to `spring apart.

The leg I2 has an inwardly bowed portion I2aI intermediate its length, extending tor the major portion of the length thereof. n hook M is provided at the louter free end'of said leg :which is received within a reduced fend i5 of a-guard I-lB.

The guardis lformed with a `pair -of substantially parallel arms 20 and 2l. The arm `2l is U- shaped in cross sec-tion as shown more particularly in Figure 3. An inwardly 'curved portion 22 is included in the arm A2| with the outer end of said portionimerging integrally into the reduced end I5 of the guard. Thearm 20 isals-o lformed integrally with the reduced end. A pair of ears 23 project inwardly from Athe inner ends of th-e side walls of the U-shaped arm 20 and in nat contact with each other to provi-de a guide for a purpose which 'will "be `explained presently. It will be noted that theside walls of the U-shaped arm 2d inwardly ofthe Vleg f2 are pressed together so that the arm Awill form a tight t around the enclosed porti-on of the leg I2 and hook I4, as shown at 224 to prevent said 'arm from being rotated on Ithe leg. A finger 215 extends inwardly from the inner end of each side wall of the Iarm 2|. The iingers are in Iparallel relation, and are spaced from the juxtapcsirtioned ears .23 with said ears being located `between the ilngers 25.

The leg I3 extends in integral formation from one end of the coil I I and has |a portion 26 seated within tha-t part of the channel member 2I which is parallel to the :arm -20 .when the leg or pin I3 is in closed position. The -free end l2I of the pin has the same curved inclination as the inturned portion 22 of thearm `2I so that the point 2B of the pin will be housed within the portion 22 in such a manner that the point cannot be dislodged from the guard.

In Figure 4, a slightly modified form is shown in which the legs I2b and I `3a are bowed inwardly towards each other -as shown Iat 30. However, these inwardly bowed portions are spaced suiiiciently apart in order that the leg or pin I3a may be swung inwardly towards the leg |212 to an extent that the members .26, 21 and the point 28 the guard I6. The legs |212 Iand 43a extend from the coiled bight Il. In view of the iact that all of the -other elements of the pin illustrated in Figure 4 are identical in structure with similarly positioned elements shown in lFigure 1, the same reference numerals are employed for such elements. The inwardly bowed portions 30 of the legs, when the pin or leg I3a has been forced through a piece of cloth, are placed un-der tension for maintaining the point of the pin in the guard. In other words, a sucient portion of the cloth may be forced between the bowed portions 30 to prevent displacement of the pin or leg i3d from 'the guard.

In operation, the intermediate portions of legs lf2 and I3 (Figures 1 and 2) are pressed towards each other whence the elements 26, 21 and 28 are forced from .the arm or channel member 2l of the guard. However, said elements :mus-t be moved inwardly towards and beyond the arm 20 so that this part ofthe leg or pin i3 which is in cont-act with the fingers 25 will clear the inner free end of one of the fingers before the ,pin It can be released suiciently `for withdrawal from 'the piece of cloth.

It will be noted that the ele-ments 28, 21 and 2-8 of the pin |13 are completely housed within the channeled arm 2l including the inclined portion 22 of the -guard IS. The point |28 is so conned within the portion 22 of the arm 2! ythat it cannot be released accidentally from said arm, in View of the fact that sai-d point is restricted in movement by the closely associated inner edge of the arm 20. `Such close associ-ation does n-ot prevent manual release of the point and ele-ments 26 and 21 ywhen properly guided by the contacting ears 23. Furthermore, the free end of the pin I3 cannot be pulled ou-t of the arm 2l when the safety pin is in use on clothing.

The pin illustrated in Figure 4 presents an additional safety measure against the accidental removal of the pin or lleg I3a from the guard I6. When the pin has been forced through clothing, the cloth will be forced between the restrict-ed portions 30 of th-e legs |21) and |3a thereby exerting a pressure on the leg [3a for maintaining the elements 26, :2l and 28 housed rigidly within the arm 2l including the inclined portion of the guard. The pin or 'leg [3a can be manipulated readily by pressing inwardly on said pin and leg |2a at points located -between the inbowed portions 30 and the inner end of the -guard I6.

Iclaim:

A safety pin comprising a substantially U- shaped guard including a channeled straight arm, a second channeled arm having an inclined curved portion extending outwardly at an acute angle from the outer end of the straight arm and a porti-on projecting from the inclined portion and parallel to the straight arm, the inclined and parallel porti-ons forming a protective housing, Ia U-shaped member formed of spring material and having one leg thereof secured in the straight arm, the other leg providing a penetrating pin, the end of the pin having an inward inclined curvature of the same angle as the inclined portion of the second arm of the guard and adapted to be seated in said 'portion when the pin is closed, a portion of the pin inwardly of the inclined end being seated within the parallel portion of the sec-ond channeled arm, Ithe rst mentioned leg of the U-shaped member being provided with an inbowed portion intermediate the ends thereof and extending for the major portion of the length of the leg, the inbowed portion restricting the space between the major portion of the length of both legs 4so that when the safety pin is applied to a piece of clothing, the cloth between the inbent portion and the pin leg will exert an outward pressure on the leg of the penetrating pin.

HENRY CLAY WHITTAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 330,282 Atkin Nov. l0, 1885 688,109 McClain Dec. 3, 1901 1,008,956 Collins Nov. 14, 1911 2,261,424 Watson Nov. 4, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 443,872 France of 1912 

